RESOLUTION - “Hineni” - Raising Jewish voices in academia

Preamble:

Across Europe, Jewish students face varying degrees of hostility and ignorance regarding their lived experiences and antisemitism from both lecturers and fellow students. While many Jewish student unions already engage with these issues at an institutional level (e.g., through dialogue with university leadership), a crucial aspect remains underdeveloped: meaningful, critical engagement with the student body itself.

A pilot initiative in Austria has demonstrated the potential of this approach: Over the past few years, Jewish students were trained through expert-led sessions and subsequently invited to speak at university lectures and seminars, sharing not only personal experiences but also theoretical and historical perspectives. The success of this model lies not only in the content conveyed but in the meaningful, peer-to-peer interactions that allow for dialogue, questions, and direct impact.

Especially in the intense climate Jewish students have been suffering under in the past years, building up similar structures across Europe holds the potential to create a lasting impact. This motion, therefore, proposes the development of Hineni (“Here I am”): an initiative that empowers unions with the knowledge and tools to build their own network of trained educators who can engage with their peers in a meaningful way within academic settings such as lectures, seminars, and similar formats.

EUJS notes that: 

1. While antisemitism in academia often goes unchallenged, direct engagement with the general student body remains an underused component in addressing antisemitism and raising awareness about Jewish life on campus.  
2. Some unions have already developed successful local models, which could inform broader EUJS strategy in order to launch similar programmes across Europe.
3. While helpful, educational programmes offered by international Jewish advocacy organisations are often not tailored to specific national contexts and do not equip unions with the tools needed to build sustainable local structures.

EUJS believes that:

1. Jewish students must be present and visible in academic discourse, not only as subjects of discussion, but as educators, experts, and active contributors. 
2. Critical, peer-to-peer engagement within university settings is key to combating misinformation, prejudice, and passive institutional responses.
3. Building speaker and outreach structures locally strengthens the unions’ long-term impact and empowers their Jewish students.

EUJS resolves to:

1. To establish Hineni: an EUJS-led initiative that empowers unions with the knowledge and tools to build their own network of trained educators who can engage with their peers in a meaningful way within academic settings (e.g., lectures and seminars).
2. To provide unions with access to shared tools such as practical guidance on outreach to university administrations, workshop materials, a pool of expert contacts, best practices, etc. 
3. To periodically review and adapt Hineni’s framework in collaboration with member unions, ensuring its long-term relevance and effectiveness across different national contexts. 
4. To amplify the visibility of these initiatives across Europe as a model of proactive, grassroots Jewish engagement in higher education.

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